Across Time
by mangalover4ever07
Summary: (Prequel to Stuck on you) When Atem has a dream about the past, he believes it's fate. When Seto has a dream about the past, he believes it's bull. But the two have to work together to bring Atem's twin back from the "dead". Atem helps her live in the 21st century while Seto fights to not fall in love with her...all over again.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

 _The twins were silent as the lid of the alabaster sarcophagus rubbed against the other half closing off the last sight they would see of their father._

 _It was unreal. A cold, the doctor had told them, but the sickness would pass and all would be well. They were awakened by the nurse's scream in the middle of the night. The gods had taken him away in the darkness._

 _Atem had cried out in anguish, cursing in grief and sorrow while Azula remained quiet. Standing in the doorway, she didn't flinch when the other priests rushed pass her. She didn't shed a tear as others had. She didn't speak as the men carried him out as tears, mixed with anger and sadness, streamed down their faces._

 _Was it wrong for her to say that she didn't feel the same pain the others were feeling? Was it wrong for her to feel nothing for the man she had known as her father? She was supposed to cry, wasn't she? But she couldn't muster up those emotions that her brother and her people displayed._

 _She didn't have the same relationship with her father as her brother had. She never had the chance to bond with him, to laugh with, or share experiences that a father and child would. He was just a man that she had known as Father... nothing more._

 _"I will start the preparations for the coronation." She heard their uncle speak. The announcement set something off inside of her._

 _"We need to let the people know that they are still being led by a Pharaoh." He placed his large hand on his nephew's shoulder. "We'll make the announcement that Atem will now be Aknamkanon's successor and…"_

 _Her body reacted before her mind could process her actions. She was by her brother's side, sensing his confliction and grief but was too respectful of their uncle to say what was on his mind._

 _"Can this not wait until later?" Azula didn't mind that her uncle sneered at her for speaking up._

 _"Azula, now is not the time for your insolence!" Aknadin snapped. The young woman's hand shot out, swiping hard across his face._

 _"And now it not the time for you to shove my brother onto the throne when we are grieving." Her pink hued eyes glowed dark with rage. She would be damned if she allowed her uncle to bully her brother into something that he was not prepared for._

 _Aknadin bit the inside of his lip to calm himself from lashing out. He didn't speak until the taste of his own blood spilled into his mouth._

 _"'We?' I highly doubt that you are grieving." His snide remark earned him hard punch in his good eye. She heard the gasps echoing in the room but she didn't care. She took pleasure in seeing her uncle in pain as he stumbled back from the blow._

 _"How dare you?" She spoke slowly. She could have killed him. She was thinking of so many things she could have done to him with just a few words._

 _Gritting his teeth, he glared at her with malice. His hand came up as if he were ready to strike her and he would have; he's all but forgotten that she was the Princess of Egypt and saw her as nothing more than a woman that had yet again defined him in front of his peers._

 _"Aknadin." Mahod grabbed his wrist. The high priest moved fast before the man could follow through with his act. "Please…"_

 _His hand held tighter when the rage in Aknadin's face etched harder._

 _"Get your hands off me!" He snatched his arm free from the taller man's hold._

 _"Aknadin, if you touch Princess Azula, I swear to you, you will lose that hand." Mahod spoke with authority and stared down the elder Priest as if he were challenging his threat. Aknadin looked back to see Azula ushering out Atem of the room._

 _He made a silent vow that this was the last time he would allow that child to go against him._

* * *

 _Azula moved around her room aimlessly. After the fiasco with her uncle, it nearly broke down Atem. He hated when the two of them quarreled and the death of their father just pushed him over the tipping point._

 _He held it together until they made it to her bed chambers and then he cried. He cried long and hard until there was nothing left. He had lost his father so quickly. He had so many questions that needed to be answered. So many thoughts and opinions that he needed his father's advice on. And now his uncle was pushing for him to be seated at the throne and rule Egypt?!_

 _He wasn't ready!_

 _He felt the mattress shift. His sister's fingers ran through his hair to calm him down. He sighed. He knew if he had his sister, his twin by his side, everything would be alright._

 _Today proved that as she stood up against their uncle. He had wanted to fight for himself. To stand up to their uncle, but the words were caught in his throat. It infuriated him. How was he to rule a country and he couldn't speak for himself? He had always relied on Azula to be there to protect him, to pick up where he had fallen short. To walk him through the hard times._

 _His father had told him that one day he would have to stand on his own, to lead on his own. Azula wouldn't be at his side to protect him forever._

 _Sooner, rather than later, he would have to take charge. But was he truly ready?_

 _The soft knock at the door paused his self-wallowing. The person on the other side didn't wait for an answer. The elderly hand maiden, dressed in ceremonial black walked through the door. She held rolled parchment in her boney hands._

 _"The girls were cleaning up your father's bed chambers and one of them came across this on his desk." She held out the cotton parchment, tied together by a thin twine. "It is addressed to the both of you." She said as she sat it down on the bed._

 _"Thank you." Azula gave a small smile to the woman that left as quickly as she came._

 _"What is it?" Atem asked once they were alone again. He sat up, propping his back against the numerous pillows. Azula did the same next to him as she pulled the twine away and unrolled parchment._

 _"It is a letter in Father's hand." She was shocked. What could her father possibly have to say after death that he didn't say when he was alive?_

 ** _"To my children. My children that are my universe. I am not a man that speaks about his feelings; that was something your mother would have been better at than I. I know that if she were here today, she would be proud of you, just as I am. I'm sorry that I have not said this to you as often as I should have, but that does not make the statement any less true."_**

 _Azula stopped reading. She could feel something burning throat as she cleared it. This letter was obviously for Atem. Her father had never said a kind word to her other than 'Good Morning'. She highly doubted he would be starting now._

 _She continued._

 ** _"To Atem: This is your day. The day you have be trained, educated, and born to do. This is your moment, but this moment will be followed by events that will change your life forever. You are now King. At eighteen, you are now Pharaoh of Egypt."_**

 _She paused again and found her brother staring back at her. Their birthday was a few months away and realized that their father had penned this letter to give to Atem at the coronation ceremony._

 ** _"It will be a frightening thing, knowing that you will now rule over the county. Your decisions from here on out will affect not only your family but countless families across the land._**

 ** _"Never be afraid to ask questions; that is why you have your advisors that will be faithful and never steer you in the wrong direction. Never be afraid to take risks, as I have told you before, a great leader never plays by the rules. And most importantly, trust your heart._**

 ** _"Forget your regrets, learn from your mistakes, take chances, and leave your doubts behind you. Do not compare yourself to my reign. You were born to continue my legacy and surpass me just as I surpassed my father. Strive to be greater, better, but above all, be Atem and no one else."_**

 _Azula passed the parchment to him to let him read it again. As the seconds ticked by, more tears steams down his cheeks. He smiled, washing them away with the back of his hand. Their father did not foresee his untimely death, but while he was sick in bed and nothing to do, he wrote this, thinking of his son. It was the encouragement he needed. He was ready now. He was ready to begin his reign and make his mark in history._

 _"Wait…" He played with the edges of the parchment. "There's another one." He revealed a second letter._

 _"To Azula." As her brother said her name, all she could hear was her father's voice. What did he have to say to her?_

 ** _"When you were born, your mother lost her life. It would be false to deny that bitterness did not fill my soul. I could not bring myself to bond with you, to love you like a father should love his daughter. By the time I got over my bitterness, it was too late. You had grown up, and to my regret, without me._**

 ** _"I am sorry. I am sorry that I did not give you my love and attention that you rightly deserved. I am sorry that I held you responsible for something you had no control over. I am sorry that I was not the same father that I was towards Atem. You two are twins, you deserved identical love. It may be too late, and my words my fall on deaf ears. At your eighteenth birthday you are now ready to seek marriage. As your father, I have a say in which man you will choose that will become your husband, as my father did. I will not participate in that tradition. I know that you will only go against me. Instead, I allow you to choose whomever you want. I will grant my blessing no matter the man. All I ask is that you follow your heart and not be afraid of the consequences._**

 ** _"I know I have never spoken to you with such kind words before this day, but please know that I speak from my heart._**

 ** _"Never change, no matter who tries to stop you. Never stop striving for knowledge as I know you will be a great asset in Egypt's development into a great nation._**

 ** _"I love you Azula and I am proud of you. You are truly your mother's child. So different and defiant of the rules that you make your own to suit you; I love you for that. I love you for being exactly who you are."_**

 _She was silent as her chested burned. How dare he say such kind words to her! How dare he write down everything she had longed for growing up and then die before she got to say her peace!_

 _Unintentionally, she snatched the parchment from her brother's hand, tearing it slightly. She read it again, and again until she knew for sure that black ink would not morph into something else. That this was not a trick and her father was actually the cruel heartless man she had grown up knowing._

 _Nothing was on the page but kind loving words that she craved for. That she desperate wanted to hear. And more so, she wanted to hear from his mouth. But she would never get that chance. She would never get to hear his voice again._

 _Atem wrapped his arms around her. He never felt more helpless than at this moment and he wished he could do more to comfort his sister._

 _Burning tears came flooding out as he heard her cry for the first time when reality finally hit her:_

 _Their father was dead._

* * *

 **A/N: It feels ssssoooo good to write again! Two years is such a long time! Writers' block can be so hard to shake. This has been sitting in my files for a long time. A lot of reworking andnim kinda nervous about it. But I'd rather get it out there then hiding it. :)**

 **Hopefully this will be just as enjoyable to read as all the others.**

Please Review!

SMOOCHES!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Crimson eyes shot open as he was jolted out of his sleep. His heart thundered in his ears as his mind tried to get a grip on reality. He had not dreamt in centuries and now he dreams of that day.

Why that moment that happened over five thousand years ago?

 _What did it mean?_

The man moved the covers away; swinging his feet over the edge of the bed. He didn't know how long he had slept but judging from the sunlight creeping behind the drawn curtains, it must have been close to noon.

His smaller counterpartmust made sure the light wouldn't come through; knowing that it directly hit his face when the sun rose over the horizon. As he suspected, the other one was gone from the top bunk, the bed neatly made.

Yugi leaving without him knowing proved that something was bothering him internally.

Even a hot shower didn't calm his nerves as he traveled down the narrow staircase to the ground level of the game shop.

"Happy Birthday!" The surprising shouts caused Atem to slam into the wall. All of the familiar faces he dubbed as friends were in the middle of the game shop, grinning madly. The pharaoh couldn't help but smile back.

"Has it been another year already?" Atem laughed when Joey swung his arm around him in a brotherly embraced.

"That's right buddy! It's been three years today since you came back to us!"

It was true, but it seemed like it was yesterday when he found himself lying on the floor in Yugi's room, apparently months after he and Yugi dueled, setting his soul free from the Millennium Puzzle. He woke up in his own body with the Puzzle beside him. They were unsure as to what happened or why, but no one was complaining.

"Hey…is something wrong, man?" Tristen noted the somber look on Atem's face.

"Ah…ah..no. I mean…" He didn't know how to explain.

"Hey. If you don't like the birthday stuff, we can totally nicks it."

"No. It's not that. I actually like celebrating my rebirth."

"Then what is it?" Atem sighed, supposing it would be easier if…

His train of thought was broken when the clatter of the bell rang.

"What are you guys doing here!?" Yugi exclaimed when the Ishtar siblings came inside of the game shop. Atem did not seem as happy as his counterpart as Yugi rushed over to greet them. What _were_ they doing here? They hadn't seen each other in years as they went back to their homeland in Egypt to continue their duties as the tomb keepers of his family.

Ishizu stared at the Pharaoh in awe. She couldn't believe that he was standing in front of her; whole and alive. Deep down in her soul, she knew something had moved in the universe but Marik had convinced her otherwise. Even when his rod had returned to him, he had still said that everything was right, that their mission was completed and Yugi and the others were safe.

Now seeing that her gut instinct was telling her something, she wasn't going to sweep it under the rug.

Not this time.

"I knew something had happened when my Millennium Necklace and Marik's Rod returned to us suddenly a few years ago. I knew….but nothing like this. How?"

"We have no idea. But more importantly, why are you here?" They wouldn't have traveled halfway across the world if it weren't important.

Ishizu exhaled slowly. She wasn't sure where to begin. But the last thing she wanted to do was tell the man that she had possibly failed to protect his family's tombs again.

"Yugi, look!" Tea screeched, startling the woman. "It's your grandfather."

"Turn it up, Joey!"

"Alright, jeez!" Everyone eyes were fixated on the screen.

 _'In today's news, archaeologists Arthur Hawkins and Solomon Muto have made an astounding Egyptian finding. Inside a small tomb lies an indescribable sarcophagus. No news as to what descendant of royalty lies within, but more details will be coming soon.'_

It wasn't the words that caught the pharaoh's attention but the sarcophagus itself. The state that the coffin was in, detailed and distinctive cravings covering it. It was all the confirmation he needed.

A coincidence? Not likely. This was fate.

"Pharaoh…" Ishizu had hoped that she could have broken the news to Atem first. Several days ago she had received news that a crypt had been opened and was believed to have been of the royal family. Her brothers were skeptical at first; it was unmarked and they were more than sure that all the members of the royal family were accounted for. However, something was telling her that maybe they should investigate further; her brother, Marik and Odin said differently, that there was nothing to worry about. Talk of another royal, a Queen, was nothing more than a rumor.

She had let it go until she began to have visions from her past life. She saw glimpses of a young woman whom everyone around seemed to adore and respect. She watched behind the shadows as she was trained by one of the high priest in combat and in magic. She saw how defiant she was; playing by her own rules and not by the ones constructed by society.

She was loud, outspoken, commanding of attention and authority. Ishizu had never seen anyone like her. She moved and talked as if she ran the whole kingdom.

As if she were a queen.

When she had told her brothers of what she had seen, they were leery but knowing their sister, she would not rest until she confirmed her suspicions.

"Why are you all watching that?" The group turned to be greeted by Solomon displaying a look of exhaustion on his face. He dropped the bag in his hand as he walked over to the chair where Joey was sitting. Turned off the T.V.

"Grandpa!" Yugi looked back at the blank screen. "But you were…"

"That was just a recording…." The elder Muto responded. "Six days ago."

"But why are they replaying it?" Tea asked.

His smile brightened the room. "Probably in preparation for the new museum exhibiting opening this weekend." He puffed out his chest in pride.

"Arthur and I found an unmarked tomb not too far from where your kingdom was located, Atem. But we found it odd that there were no record of this tomb anywhere in our literature." He looked over at the Pharaoh. "The group that we were with unearth the tomb and the contents inside."

"So it was you." Ishizu let out a breath; she didn't know whether to be upset or relieved that the people behind opening the Pharaoh's family tomb were one of their own.

As Solomon continued to rely the story of how they had to out maneuvered the booby traps laid out for potential thieves, Atem zoned out; this was destiny, it had to be. It had taken over five thousand years, but now was the time.

"When will the exhibit be open for viewing?" His sister was nearby. After centuries of being apart, they were so close to being reunited.

"This Saturday."

Two days. He could wait two more days.

* * *

He barely slept last night, barley ate. All that was rushing through his mind was the thought of his sister, the sister that lost her soul protecting his.

If he hadn't broke his promise to never propose a betrothed without Azula's consent, the Indian prince would have never heard the confession and she and the High Priest could have continued their love affair in peace. It would not have been long before they were ousted, but it may not have ended in Azula's soul being trapped in the Shadow Realm.

He never forgave himself for that night. His soul was trapped in the Millennium Puzzle force him to relive that moment. Wondering from door to door, he'd come across that one door that held those memory. That painful day became an eternal nightmare. Many nights, he had blamed Seto too; he told himself that it was the High Priest's fault for what had happened to Azula. He knew better, he knew the rules; lusting after the Egyptian royal was forbidden.

That was then. Now he had a chance to make things right.

Atem paused at the bottom of the stairs leading to the entrance of the Domino City Museum. The blood rushed in his head, drowning out the traffic of the city. Doubt and anxiety filled his being. What if the sarcophagus that Solomon found was not the one he sought out? Akinadin despised his sister; he may have been spiteful and had her body removed from coffin all together without his knowledge. Even though they had buried her in secret, there was always a rat lurking around feeding his uncle information.

What if… what if…

He jumped slightly when he felt the warmth of Yugi's hand touch his shoulder. He looked down at the familiar face. This young man was the reason that he was able to stand in flesh and blood. Years they spent together, sharing one body; building a bond that they shared. There was a lot he wanted to tell him; a lot that he was too afraid to speak aloud.

"Are you ok?" He let out a breath. Now was not the time for his own personal agenda.

"Yes." He walked up the stairs and made a beeline for the newest exhibit added to the museum.

"Excuse me, Pharaoh." Ishizu move quickly to keep up with Atem. He was moving around the crowd, following the designated markers that would lead them to the Egyptian sections. "I have a few questions that I'm hoping you could answer."

"Yes?" Atem never looked in her direction. Ishizu waited a beat, trying to find the right words without offending him.

"Can you please reveal as to whom would have Mr. Muto found during his excavation?" All of the members of the Pharaoh's family were buried in the family tomb. She had no record of any outside tombs; at least none that would be associated with the Pharaoh.

But her dreams, no, her memories of her past life, proved that her records were wrong.

"I'll let you know once I've seen the sarcophagus for myself." He didn't want to get his hopes up. It was very likely that the sarcophagus found was indeed his sister's; but he needed to be sure.

His heart pounded in his chest once they made it to the other side of the museum. Cold sweat tickled down his back as he made his way through the crowd of patrons. He could see the different artifacts from his time. Vases, jewelry, drapery, clothing encases in glass for preservation with information beside each one.

"Yo, Pharaoh." Atem turned when Tristan called him. The tall brunette stood by an entryway, jerking his thumb inside.

The room was large enough to house two apartments; more artifacts were scattered around the room, displayed in the dimly lit room. Some that he recognized as Azula's belongings. In the middle of the room laid the coffin encased in protective glass.

Immediately, Atem moved towards to inspect it to make sure it was the real thing. The sarcophagus, completely made of gold and alabaster held the insignia of his family. Underneath of it were rows of hieroglyphics, the same ones that Mahod engraved before the burial.

Overcome with emotions, his knees buckled, causing him to collapse on the ground. The memories, the feelings, the pain, all flooded back to him like a wave. He didn't realize how much he had missed his sister until now. He couldn't begin to imagine the pain she was enduring with being in the shadow realm; how much she was suffering.

"Thank you." He looked over his shoulder; it touched him to know that his friends had come to his side to comfort him. "I'm alright."

"You sure, man?" The only time Joey saw break down was when he lost a duel, and that was a rare event in itself.

It didn't help that there were a lot of people staring in their direction, giving them odd looks as the young man sobbed in front of the exhibit. "How about we go out and get some air."

* * *

"We have to get her out." Atem demanded once they exited the museum. Azula had suffered long enough. It was now time to set her soul free.

"Woah, woah, man." Joey looked puzzled. "What the hell do you mean 'get her out'? Who is _she_?"

"Azula, my sister and Queen of Egypt."

"What?!" The news was a shock to everyone. A sister? Atem had a sister and he never spoke of her once.

"My brothers and I have studied your family's history for many years, but…but there's no record of a sibling or of a marriage."

Atem grunted softly. "I'm not surprised. Azula was a disappointment and disgraced the family name. My uncle must have had her named removed from our family ledger." He paused, grinding his teeth slightly as he remembered Akinadin request and then had gone behind his back to do the deed when he refused to do so himself.

"So when you look in the history books, you will find no Queen Azula. You will not find the good works she did to prosper the kingdom to what you know today. You would never see her name, only mine."

"But why? What did she do that was so terrible?"

"Nothing." Atem admitted. "Nothing but live her life the way she wanted to and some people just weren't ok with that. Queen Azula was different from anyone else. She wasn't... how do I say it… she didn't abide by the rules that was laid out for her. She created her own path in life. She was humble, though she was born into royalty; she never wore her jewels or crown, nor wore the finest of silks or sandals unless we had guests. Those close to her would tease that she looked like one of the servants. I think…I know she preferred being a civilian than a Queen.

"She was intelligent, but she wanted to go beyond reading scrolls and books. She wanted to go beyond the kingdom. She wanted to travel, though she was forbidden for her own safety. So she settled for learning magic, though she had to do that in secret as well." He smiled, remembering the fires she had set the first couple of months of training, but she mastered it just like she mastered everything else in her life.

"That doesn't seem at all bad, at least not bad enough to disgrace your family." Yugi defended.

"Yes, but she had a really bad habit of speaking her mind." The group saw the glimmer of admiration in the other's crimson eyes. "I didn't mind it, I was used to it. But my uncle and father weren't fond of it. Especially when she questioned another leader's actions, or worse, opposed him. That estranged a few of our alliances."

"Because she was a woman." Ishizu now understood why Atem said she "disgraced" the family name. If she were a man, there would be no questioning her actions. But for a woman to be so outspoken, royalty or not, was unheard of and they didn't know how to deal with it except to stay away. It amazed her that Atem's kingdom wasn't under siege with such a lack of allegiance from other countries.

"Correct. Because of her involvement with politics and her public disapproval of many leaders that we once had an alliance with began to disassociate themselves from us, even if it had nothing to do with them." He grew silent. The night he had gained trust in India for allegiance, but in return Azula would be his prize. That night was possibly the one thing he regretted in his life.

"Well, all of that sounds great, but we can't just waltz up in there and demand the coffin be turned over to us. They'll kick us out for sure."

Joey was right. They couldn't outright demand the coffin, but maybe the museum officials could be persuaded by Ishizu or even Solomon. That would come later because unfortunately, they were missing one crucial part of the puzzle.

"Kaiba." Atem whispered to himself; the others groaned in protest.

"Nope. Not happening." Yugi saw something in his eyes and he could tell what Atem was thinking. They hadn't seen the Kaiba Brothers in years. There was no need to interact with them.

"He's going to sic the dogs on us." Atem rolled his shoulders. Little did they know, Kaiba had more to do with this than they realized.

"We have to try.

"Yeah, I know! But try telling him that!"

* * *

TBC

SMOOCHES!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 _Clasping the gold and ruby necklace, the royal gazed at her reflection. For the exception of the crown that laid on the table, she looked like a completely different person from this morning. She looked like a Queen. And for the first time in her life that, she wished she were a servant._

 _The knock at the door disrupted her thoughts. "You may enter." She commanded; her back still facing the door. It was probably one of the servants to announce their guest had arrive. Placing the crown on her head, she adjusted it properly to complete her wardrobe._

 _"My Queen." Her breath hitched at the sound of his voice. She turned, barely managing to keep her body from collapsing at the sight of him. "You look beautiful."_

 _She didn't know how she'd made it across the room to him so quickly. Perhaps she ran; she couldn't remember anything before the time his arms enclosed around her, embracing her lovingly._

 _"Seto!" She cried his name into his chest as his hand stroked her back in comfort. "I have been looking for you. Where have you been?"_

 _"I am sorry, My Queen. I was accompanying Akinadin." The sound of his voice all but vanquished the sorrow she had been feeling all afternoon._

 _"Oh, Seto. The Pharaoh has found a betrothed for me. A prince from India."_

 _"I know." Azula's face was buried in his chest, she didn't see his faced etched with pain and confliction. "I accompanied him on the journey here. He…he seems…..like a good match for you." His voice dropped to a whisper. "I am sure you will be happy together."_

 _"Why are you saying this!? Do you want me to go as well?" Hot tears flowed once more. "Do you hate me that much?"_

 _"Stop your foolish talk!" He shouted. "How can you say that? Of course I don't want you to leave. I want to be with you! But it is impossible for us."_

 _"So let us run away from here."_

 _"What?" The words flew from her mouth before she had a chance to process it. She had been thinking about it for months. The two of them would just disappear, forget their duties and leave the city. Every time she ran it over it her mind, it sounded insane. But given the circumstances, it didn't sound as bad._

 _"I have planned everything. We can leave tonight and never return."_

 _"Azula…"_

 _She wrapped her arms around his neck to share the same space with him." I know what I am asking for is a great ordeal. You have sworn your life to the Pharaoh, but you are more than a man that is forced to life in solitude."_

 _"Azula…I…"_

 _"No. Do not give me your answer now. Let us wait until the night is over. I will meet you at our spot."_

 _She rushed out of the bedroom before he could give his response. The click of her sandals echoed down the hallway as she made her way to the dining room. She knew in her heart what the results would be. But she just wanted to dream for a little while longer._

* * *

Well they didn't get attacked by the dogs when they hit the threshold. Instead, another obstacle was in the way.

"What do you want?" Mokuba stood in the doorway, leaning against the wall. Dressed casually in a grey sweater and jeans, he looked stressed out and wasn't in the mood for company.

"We need to talk to Kaiba." Atem led the charge.

"No." The younger Kaiba dismisses the request before it fell from his mouth. "Seto has been sick lately and can't be disturbed." Mokuba made a face as if determined to not be swayed by the gang.

"Let me guess, he's been like this for days, right?"

The young Kaiba scrunched up his nose slightly. As if he wanted to say something, but decided not to.

"Mokuba, it's important that we talk to him." He watched the boy, once a pint-sized kid, now the same height as himself.

The younger one fought with himself. Deciding what would be best for his older brother.

"Mokuba."

"I'm thinking! I'm thinking."

"Even if it's just me. Trust me, I know what plagues him"

Mokuba looked at the people behind him. "Just you. Everyone else stays in the living room." He moved aside, allowing them to enter. He knew this might be a mistake, but he trusted Atem for whatever reason. He just could never figure out why.

"Do you really know what's going on with Brother or did you make it up?" Mokuba asked once they were away from the others.

"I have a good feeling."

"He hasn't slept in the past few days. He refuses." Mokuba looked down at his hands, wishing he could heal his brother with them. "He keeps saying he doesn't want to see her. He's talking crazy."

"He's not crazy."

"What if running this company has finally made him snap?" Clearly, he didn't hear the Pharaoh trying to ease his worries. "What if..."

"Mokuba." This time, Atem made contact, gripping his shoulders gently. "I promise you, he's going to be alright." The teen looked on a moment longer; just to be sure it was true. He nodded and opened the door to Seto's bedroom.

The room wasn't in disarray as it was hours ago. Furniture turned over, glass scattered on the floor. The maids did a good job of cleaning and the men replaced what was broken. They found the elder Kaiba standing next to the balcony door, looking out at nothing.

"Brother." Kaiba looked in their direction but it seemed he was looking through them. His eyes were heavy with more than just a lack of sleep. There was grief and sadness. His brown hair was rustled about; his face now had the shadow of a beard from not shaving. To Atem, he looked lost; broken.

"Kaiba." The Pharaoh's voice snapped him out of his daze.

"Well, if it isn't Yugi? No…." he corrected. "…it's his Highness." He said venomously. "Don't expect me to bow."

"Kaiba, we need to talk."

"Come to gloat?" He walked towards the pair. "Come to see what your rival is doing?"

"No, Kaiba. I've come to help." He stated truthfully.

"Help!?" He laughed. "How can you possibly help? In fact, you've done quite enough over the years." He turned to his younger brother. "Mokuba, why did you let him in here?"

"I…"

"I asked him to, Kaiba."

"I wasn't talking to you!"

"Brother."

"Kick him out, Mokuba." He walked away from the two.

"I know who she is, Kaiba." That stopped him in his tracks. But he didn't face them. "I know the dreams that have plagued you. That has kept you up at night."

"Don't tell me." He seethed. "They're not dreams, but memories. Is that what you were going to say?"

"Yes, Kaiba. They…"

"Shut up. I don't want to hear none of this past life crap!" He spat out.

"But it's the truth and you need to realize it!"

"What I realize is that you don't get that I don't believe in that shit!"

"Then why can't you sleep?" That caught him off guard. He couldn't think of a reason why…other than…

"No! Get out!" He refused to believe such crap.

"They're your memories as being High Priest Seto."

"Shut up…"

"These dreams are the last of your memories of your Queen."

"I said… _shut_ … _up_."

"Her name was Azula. You two were in love. She sacrificed her soul to save yours."

"SHUT UP!" His anger came out as quickly as his fist did, knocking the Pharaoh on his ass. Atem was hoping to get some reaction out of him.

He probably went too far.

"What you're feeling Kaiba is grief and sadness because you couldn't protect her."

He felt his body being dragged up; the wind knocked from his lungs when he was slammed into the wall. Angry blue eyes stared directly at his.

"You don't know anything! It's not just that night I dream about, it's every moment of me being with her. Do you know what it's like yearning for someone, loving someone, having such passionate feelings for a woman you don't even know!?"

"Seto! Put him down." It took several minutes for Seto to come back to reality. Slowly he dropped Atem to his feet. The Egyptian ruler was satisfied with the answers he needed. Now he needed a plan to retrieve his sister.

"Rest, Seto. You won't have to worry about Azula visiting you in your dreams. She's here and she needs the both of us to rescue her.

* * *

"Ok, let me get this straight." Mokuba sat on the arm of the chair, occupied by one of his brother's former classmates. "Three years ago, months after Yugi and the Pharaoh dueled, Pharaoh comes back, alive this time, but no one questions it because who the hell cares. Everything is good until a week ago when one of the Pharaoh's tombs were open, causing my brother to have insomnia because of memories of his past life that are giving him a guilt trip. Did I get all that?"

"In a nutshell."

Mokuba scrubbed his face. "And I thought being CFO of Kaiba Corp. was stressful." He thought for another moment. "So why is this girl…Queen." he corrected "Why is she so important?" He looked at the Pharaoh for the answers. "And where is she for that matter?

"Preserved." Atem answered, skipping the first question entirely.

"Preserved? Like jam?"

"Mahod casted a spell upon her death to preserve her body so it wouldn't decay."

"Woah! woah!" Joey chimed in. "How do we revive the dead?!"

"She is not dead, technically. Her spirit is in the shadow realm."

"Are you serious!? For 5,000 years she's been trapped!"

"Yes."

"Is that such a good idea to revive her after all this time?" Marik asked, knowing the toll the shadow realm takes on a soul.

"I pray that she has found a way to protect herself, but I don't know what condition she'll be in let alone if she'll be the same person."

"We can't worry about that. The real worry is reviving her. I don't know about you, but a recipe for reanimation isn't on my resume." The young Kaiba looked at the Ishtars, who both shook their heads.

"Our duty was to protect the tombs. We do not know magic of that kind." Ishizu realized that this journey was going to be harder than expected.

"She has it. The Queen, somehow, she knew what tragedy was going to strike that night. She wrote down all the necessary tools and incantations."

"Great! Where are they?" Mokuba started to see some way out of this seemingly dead end.

"On the coffin."

"…ok…where's the coffin?"

"At the Domino City Mesuem." Mokuba gave a deadpan stare. What the hell had he gotten himself into?

"You all are as hopeless as ever! Nothing has changed but Yugi's height!" He got up to pace the floor. Thankfully, his brother was now resting, so that was one thing he didn't need to worry about.

"Are you all really this stupid?" Seto came from behind them, dressed in his normal casual navy suit.

"Big brother." Mokuba ran to greet him. "Are you okay now?" The last several days had been hell for the both of them and he wanted to be sure that he was ready for what they may have to deal with.

"I'm fine." He said with a dismissed tone. A sign of weakness was something the elder brother wasn't fond of showing to the other. Once he had finally come to grips with his own reality, Seto felt it was time to leave his bedroom to find out why Atem and the others were lounging about in his mansion.

The billionaire stayed in the hallway, undetected from the others as they discussed the plans for their next mission, no matter how half-assed and unorganized it was. They were all idiots as far as Seto was concerned. Seven brains rattling together and not one of them had a half decent idea on how to solve their current problem. The only thing they did right was seek him out of help. Atem and his friends would fail without him.

But Seto was fighting with himself. Did he really want to assist? Years ago, he would have said no. It was none of his business and he had an empire to run. That was still true today, though Kaiba Corp. was running by itself smoothly, even with other projects still in the works, he had a full plate in front of him already. However, everything was pushed to the side while he tried to deal with his mini breakdown…and failed miserably until Atem came along.

There was once a time where he wouldn't have even entertained the thought of reincarnation and that still remained, somewhat. The younger and the more naïve Seto would have chalked up everything as nothing more than stress and probably take a few days off from work to get himself back together. Now, with the dreams, how realistic they were as if they were once part of his memories that were long forgotten and his sudden desire and feelings for a woman that he never laid eyes on in his entire life. Seto started to think that Atem was right; but there was no way he was going to admit that.

The young man rolled his eyes when he heard more of their dumb ideas. He grumbled and made a mental note that once this was all over, he wanted them out of his and his brother's life for good.

He looked down at his brother. Mokuba was worried sick especially since he could do nothing to relieve his anguish. He touched the top of his head, giving his dark hair a soothing stroke with his hand.

"Wouldn't it just be easier if Seto calls the museum and asks for the Sarcophagus?" Joey sat in one of the plush love seats as his eyes wondered about. Looking at the all the wealth that decorated just one of the many rooms.

"And say what?" Mokuba sneered. "Oh, hi... this is Kabia Corp. We just need to borrow the Egyptian coffin you've just paid for to revive a supposed dead woman inside." The teen rubbed the sides of his head with his fingers, easing the headache that was edging on. He knew he shouldn't have let them through the door.

"It may be just that simple." Yugi suggested. "Well, maybe not the last part. But maybe we could convince the museum to let us borrow it for a few hours." The room erupted into murmurs, contemplating the young teen's idea.

"It's not like we can break into the museum. I don't know about you, but I like my freedom." Yugi waited until his friend finally quieted down.

"We could say that my grandfather wants to do a little more research. Possibly bring in more publicity for them. It shouldn't take long. Right?" He looked on at Atem.

"I'm not sure." Atem shrugged. "I haven't seen the inscriptions in over five thousand years. It may take longer than a few hours. Days perhaps."

"I have an idea." Ishizu spoke up for the first time since they had arrived at Kaiba's home. "I'm still on the board of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities. Mr. Muto and I will view the inscriptions, gather all the information that we need and then return at a later date to complete the ritual. It's our best outcome at this point. By the time we translate the spells, we'll have an idea how to get around security and get her out without being seen."

"That's _if_ she's in there." Mokuba wagged his finger in the air. They were all sitting in his living room, plotting and scheming and all the while, they could very well be wrong.

It was very possible that it was the wrong person in the coffin. As Atem had said, his uncle was spiteful and hated the former Queen of Egypt. How easy would it have been to have her buried elsewhere and the person they may be reviving was someone completely different.

Or worse, no one was in the coffin at all.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Seto laid in bed in complete darkness. All curtains were drawn to block out the sunlight. Atem had lied when he said that he would be alright; that he wouldn't dream about that woman again.

He wasn't alright and he did dream again about her. But he wasn't in turmoil or in deep sadness or anguish. This time, he was greeted with such a warm feeling he couldn't describe it as anything else by happiness. Not the happiness he had known when he won a duel monsters game, or when his company's stocks were teetering into the trillions at the moment. Or even when he was around his brother, the only person he actually loved.

No, this kind of happiness filled his being with so much light and joy that it scared him. He faintly remembered the dream... vision... a memory. He was dressed in blue egyptian robes, his skin dark from the many days in the sun. His view of the river, so wide, he couldn't see the other side. So crystal blue and clear, he could see the wildlife swimming just below the surface. The summer breeze kicked up slightly which made sitting outside that much more enjoyable.

He was just a few feet away from the woman that haunted his dreams night after night. She twisted and turned emotions that he had never experienced before. Her back was facing him; her legs tucked under her. Her hair was pulled away from her face; just her profile alone made his heart skip a beat. When she turned her head to face him, her gaze took his breath away. Those magenta hues eyes glittered with joy as she smiled. She held out her hand for him to take. To sit down next to her.

His vision faded soon after. His body naturally waking up to start the day. But he didn't move from the bed.

How? How could a dream stir such emotions and desire? He had never met her in his life. _His life._ Not some past life he refused to acknowledge.

Every dream he had was some event with her. Azula. Her name was Azula. He knew that because he called out to her in his dreams countless times in the last several days. He saw her in the gardens, or in her study, or secretly in her bedroom. It didn't take long for him to figure out that they were having a secret love affair. He didn't know when it took place, but he knew he cared for her deeply. They were supposed to run away together; to give up the responsibilities they were sworn to do until death. He had dutifully honored his position as High Priest. To serve and protect the Pharaoh and Queen of Egypt. But he was willing to throw it all away.

For Azula.

"This is ridiculous." He whispered under his breath as his mind began to flood with more memories. Not just of Azula, but of High Priest Seto. His journey as an orphan boy for some time before his father, Aknadin, another one of the Pharaoh's High Priests. That knowledge was hidden as he was trained to become one himself and to rule against the current Pharaoh and take the throne for himself.

Too bad that didn't go as planned.

It annoyed Seto that their lives were damn near identical. An orphan himself that was taken in by a powerful man only for him to take over and rule his empire.

A small knock on his bedroom door disturbed his mind from traveling down memory lane any further.

"What?" His voice was ragged.

"Good morning, Mr. Kaiba." He heard the maid speak. "I just wanted to let you know that your guests have arrived."

Seto groaned inwardly. Why did they have to come back? Why couldn't they figure out their shit on their own?

"All of them?"

"Uh...yes, Sir. I believe so."

"And where is Mokuba?"

"In the library with them."

Perfect. "Thank you. I'll be down shortly." He announced. He didn't move until he heard the soft click of the lock. Mokuba could deal with them for the moment while he _dealt_ with his personal problem.

* * *

By the time Seto had made his way to the library, he could already hear the loud chattering of the group from halfway down the hall. He opened the double doors, the scent of breakfast meats and coffee surrounded him. He saw several buffet trays filled with and assortment of sausage, bacon, eggs, and waffles. Along with muffins, bagels and a selection of beverages. It made Seto wonder if Mokuba told the chef that he would be feeding an army and not a group of ten people.

They all sat on either side the dark leather sofas, stuffing their faces as they looked on at the images displayed on the projector. He could admit that Ishizu and Solomon did work fast. Instead of taking hours to decipher the codes, they took numerous pictures of every corner and angle of the sarcophagus. All the images were in two rows going across the large white screen.

Sudden flashes of memories floated around his head. Of him crying over the lifeless body, growling and fighting anyone who tried to tear him apart; then he, Atem, and another man, circling the body. Using the power of the Millennium Items, they encased her is a clear cocoon to preserve her body.

Seto could feel the weight in his arms has he carried her towards the coffin, all the while he blamed himself. That punishment to spend eternity in the shadow realm was for him. He should have been quicker on his feet to stop her. He was one of the High Priests, sworn to protect the Pharaoh and Queen. That night he had failed both of them. She had sacrificed herself for him and he was doomed to stay by the man that he blamed equally for that tragedy.

"Seto?" Mokuba whispered, noticing that his brother had been standing in the doorway for some time. His eyes fixated on the screen as if he were in a trance. He stopped from getting from his seat when he saw Seto raise his hand. He didn't want the others to notice his presence and he had to pull himself together.

He closed his eyes to steady himself, discreetly wiping away the wetness from his face. He leaned back again the door, too weak to move further. He hoped he could muster up the strength from this emotional roller coaster to continue this.

"This is definitely a work of art. I've never seen anything like this." Solomon gazed at the pictures in awe. In his entire career, he had seen some spectacular things, but this artifact in front of him blew him away. He had never seen such detailed work. The coffin in length was exactly eight feet long and five feet wide so he knew just by looking at it whoever was inside was small in stature. The carvings were unique, starting from just underneath the Millennium insignia at the very top; the hieroglyphics read from left to right, were carefully written into a blueprint of some kind.

"Can you read it, Grandpa?" Yugi asked from the other side of the room. He could tell that his grandfather was excited to help unlock the puzzle.

"Yes." Using the remote. He enlarged two of the images.

"Wow!" Tristen's mouth hung up as he and the others got a clearer view of the hieroglyphics. "How long did it take to crave all of that?"

"Eighteen days." Atem answered.

"Why so long?"

"Mahod, Seto, and I had to do it in secret. We buried her in simple coffin, before the sun rose. Afterwards we took our time, making sure everything that she had written was exact. Once we were finished, we placed her in there; three years before my own demise and my own spirit was trapped in the Millennium Puzzle."

"So…" Joey scratched his head. "…she's in there. But how do we get her out and get her soul back?"

"If I'm not mistaken, we have to call back her soul from the Shadow Realm first and then we unseal it."

"This is the incantation." Ishizu tapped the screen. The pictures shuffled to one side leaving only one in the middle to enlarge. "But what do we need to preform it? I'm sure we just can't say the words and it's done."

"You're right, Ishizu. There's a lot more to it." Atem moved next to her studying the screen for himself. His hand moved over one; tapped it. The previous image was replaced. "This part is the spell needed to retrieve the soul." He then moved his hands to another. "This part is what is needed to unseal the coffin."

He stepped back, letting everyone see where he was referring to before moving on. "The script on both sides of the coffin will tell us what is needed to open the portal to the Shadow Realm. Now all we need to do is follow through exactly. We only get one try to get it right; one wrong move, whether it's the tool we use or a slip up of one word and we miss our opportunity."

"Yeah…no pressure there." Mokuba mumbled from behind them.

"OK!" Solomon rubbed his hands together. His heart was pumping with excitement. He loved puzzles and this was right up his alley. "First things first, we need to find out what and who needs to perform the spell." The elder looked up at the Egyptian woman. "Ms. Ishizu, I know I'm good at reading this kind of stuff, but it wouldn't hurt to doubled checked my work just in case."

"Of course. Any way I can help." Nodding, Solomon began working his way around the photos of the coffin, reading the script piece by piece.

"Well, it's a riddle, that I can tell you for sure. I just hope you can jog your memory some and remember just exactly what she meant when she wrote this."

"I'll try." Atem nodded.

"It says: 'Three that were close holds the power of the bloodline. The one that bound is the one that will release.'"

Everyone was silent. Unsure as to what the riddle meant. Atem thought it through, trying to understand what Azula was trying to say from beyond.

"Three?" He started to talk to himself, trying to walk through that night again. "There were four of us that night; myself, Azula, Uncle, and Seto." He mumbled, pacing the floor in thought. "Are you sure it says three, Solomon?"

"Yes." Both he and Ishizu said in unison. Atem stopped moving, staring hard into space.

"It says 'Three that are close.' I was the one of the closest to her. The next, of course, would be Kaiba…"

"Why Seto?" Mokuba wanted to know why his brother was involved.

"Kaiba is the reincarnate of High Priest Seto, the man that Azula was in love with."

"Wait." Yugi stopped his doubleganger's thought process. "You said that Azula was your Queen." Yugi couldn't think that Atem would allow such disrespect as to be married to him while she was lusting after another man.

Atem looked on in confusion. "She was my Queen, but that didn't stop her from loving who she wanted to love. But what they were doing was forbidden, so they met in secret for years." He drifted off back into thought, dismissing the look of disbelief on everyone's faces.

"Why three? She wasn't close with anyone else." Atem scrubbed his face with his palms. He was getting frustrated.

Three. Why in hell would she write three?

"What about that Mahod guy you were talking about?" Yugi interjected. "Didn't you say he was her teacher?"

"Yes, but Mahod is not in this room. None of you are his reincarnate."

"There's no one else?" Marik asked. He could see the growing defeat etching in the Pharaoh's face. They had come too far to quit now. "No one in this room is a reincarnate five thousand years ago?"

"Solomon is Shimon, our Grand Vizier. But he was more close to me than her. And Ishizu, you're the reincarnate or Priestess Isis, however Azula couldn't even be in the same room as Isis without throwing something at her." Atem wasn't going to rehash the affair and mess that Seto left Isis when he finally got the courage to follow his heart, despite the consequences.

"No, only I and Seto were the ones that were close to Azula."

"So…it has to be Yugi then." Mokuba came to that realization after several moments of silence.

"What!? Why me?" Yugi was really not prepared for this.

"Because you are the reincarnate of the Pharaoh." As the teen said that the two stared at one another. Silent words passed between them.

"Then it shall be Yugi." Atem agreed, being the first to break their gaze, to turn his attention to the elder Ishtar. "Read the second part." He ordered. "There should be more on the other side."

"It reads: 'The blood run cool as the heart beats steady. The protectors stand at the quadrants of the earth, the guardians at the corners of the dwelling. Speak the words thrice: Guide the guardians to the light'."

"I give up." Joey threw his hands in the air. "Why are there more people in the mix? You just said before only three needed to do this."

"Listen, I'm only reading what it says." But Joey was right. Why were there now four more that needed to complete the spell?

"Maybe we should take a break." Yugi suggested. The tension and frustration was thick in the room. "We're tired. Let's rest and try again tomorrow morning."

Atem glared. Stress and fatigue began to cloud his judgment. He wanted to snap at him; tell him that he was being lazy and not trying hard enough. He was smart enough to complete the Millennium Puzzle on his own, that ultimately released his spirit, he could figure out a simple riddle.

 _Wow…Listen to yourself._ Atem couldn't believe what he was thinking. Yugi was right. They were all tired and feeling mixed emotions at the moment. On top of it, he only had one shot at this. He couldn't risk the chance of messing it up.

"Pharaoh? What do you want to do?" Ishizu believed that Yugi was right, but she would do what the King wanted, and if that meant staying up all night in figuring out the riddle, then so be it.

"Let us take a break for now."

* * *

Yugi sat on the steps outside of Kaiba's manison letting the rays on the afternoon sun warm his face. He let his mind process everything that had happened in a matter of hours.

This was nothing new to him; since the Millennium Puzzle and Atem entered his life, the past four years were nothing but an amazing adventure surrounded by his love and passion for the duel monsters game. He had never dreamt, at the young age of fourteen, all the amazing places he had seen and the amazing things he had done. All the people, good, bad, and indifferent, he had met, challenged, and some even became friends. And it was all because of Atem, the ancient spirit that lived inside the puzzle.

At first, he was unaware of that his spirit existed and was wary of its capabilities. Once he realized just how ruthless the spirit could be, he lost trust in it and refused to let him possess his body. But over time, he built his trust with him again, and that turned into something more than he expected.

However, those feelings didn't surface until after the Pharaoh was gone. At first he was sad; someone that he considered a close friend was no longer around. But as the weeks past into months, he realized that his sadness was turning into depression. He no longer had an urge to play the game, or talk to his friends and hangout. There was a point where he barely ate; barely gotten out of bed. Sometimes he didn't sleep because every time he closed his eyes and dreamed, he was there. He was always there. Who knew he had such immense feelings for the man. A dead man if he really got technical. It sounded crazy, but when you spent so much time with someone…hell! They shared a body! Who would blame him?

When he opened his eyes that morning, he just knew he was dreaming. There he was, dressed in the normal leather jacket and jeans. He knew it wasn't real; even when he started to move, to wake up, to speak; he knew his heartache was now messing with his mind. Atem was there, in his bedroom, asking a million and one questions and Yugi couldn't begin to answer. He was there, he was alive. That's what mattered to him.

It took him two years to finally ease his mind that Atem wasn't going anywhere. That some unknown force was going to take him away from him again. Everyone around them realized the change in him and thought it was the renewed friendship between him and Atem. It was, Yugi could admit that, but it was so much more that he couldn't share. Not with anyone, especially Atem.

Even though he had grown taller, become more handsome, more mature, he still didn't think he'd be a fit for the former ruler of Egypt. To be honest, he didn't know if he was _that_ kind of man and he was too afraid to ask out right; too afraid until this morning. He was going to tell him, after everyone left, Yugi was going to tell the Pharaoh that he had feelings for him with full acceptance if he was rejected. He just had to get it off his chest.

Now he felt there was no point. Atem was married. He had someone he loved above all else; loved her so much that he even allowed her to have an forbidden affair with one of his priests, who just happened to be Seto Kaiba, of all people.

Did Atem think about her often? Did he dream about his Queen? What was she like? From what was spoken about her, she sounded amazing. She was probably beautiful as well. How could he compete with her?.

And if she was revived then Atem would go with her and be together here in the modern world.

Yugi coughed out a sob, covering his face with hands as tears flowed from his eyes. He knew, three years ago, he had a right to reserve the fear of separation. No matter what, Atem was going to be taken from him.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 _Seto pulled back on the reins, settling his horse down. He forced himself to keep a stoic face and not throw a small fit when he realized that once again, for the fifth time, Queen Azula had stopped at another shop._

 _"Will we ever get home?" He said to no one in particular._

 _"Not at this rate." Mahod gave his comrade a smirk, turning his own horse around to the royal twins. Seto huffed, following his lead. "I do not understand why you volunteered on this outing."_

 _"I did_ not _volunteer." The priest corrected. "I just happened to be the only one that had nothing important to do. Isis did not either."_

 _"Queen Azula would pour boiling oil on Isis and set her on fire before she allowed her to accompany us."_

 _"This…this is true."_

 _"I am still at a lost as to why the Queen does not care for Isis."_

 _"…" Seto looked in any direction but at Mahod who gave him a look as if he suspected something. There was no way he wanted to be bothered with another one of Mahod's lectures. The two High Priests led their great stallions through the semi-crowded market, finding the twins easily._

 _The Pharaoh remained on his horse, keeping the reins tightly in his hand while he sat comfortably with his arms crossed. He remained silently, watching his sister coo over the exotic animals and creatures as the merchant coaxed her in different directions; explaining to her which animal was which and why she should have it._

 _"Please, My Queen. Take your time. These creatures aren't something to take to mistreat. So choose wisely."_

 _"Is Kuriboh not enough?" Mahod grimaced when the merchant handed Azula a creature that was a cross between a huge rat and a rabbit. He prayed to the gods that she was not considering that…thing._

 _"That is exactly what I said." Atem expression mirrored his protector when a large white…he was going to deduce what was a bird…was perched on his sister's arm._

 _"Kuriboh is enough. But he's lonely. He needs someone to play with." Azula eased her companions' minds when she handed the animals back, searching the various cages and crates for the perfect friend for her Kuriboh,_

 _She ignored her male counterparts as they heaved and huffed; she was not going to be swayed by the fact that they did not like to shop and she was taking her time in choosing a creature._

 _"What is this?" The curious woman pulled a cage that was hidden behind the others, away from eyesight._

 _"Be careful!" The merchant warned. "That one has a nasty temper." Azula could see blue scales coiled in the corner of the small cage. A lizard of some sort she could tell, but she wanted to see more._

 _"Why is this one locked?"_

 _"As I said before, My Queen, that one has a bad temper. It is known to bite and claw at my customers." As he spoke, Azula tapped the bars of the cage to wake it._

 _"If it is uncontrollable, why not get rid of it?" Atem asked, watching with caution as the woman continued to wake the unknown creature._

 _"Because it is a rare fine, this dragon. I wouldn't dare throw it away without at least finding a proper home for it."_

 _"My Queen…" Mahod stepped next to her. "Please, there are other creatures I am sure you will be happy with."_

 _"But, I feel something about this one." She said, smiling when the blue dragon finally started to move. "Hi." She whispered when it started to uncoil itself. Azula was greeted with a brilliant blue eyes._

 _"Oh, you are adorable." She cooed when it finally stretched out as best as possible in the small confinement. Bravely, she reached a few fingers inside the openings as the creature came near._

 _"Did he not say it bites!?" Atem barked, in fear that she would lose her fingers in a matter of seconds. Mahod snatched her hand away before its head reached her._

 _"She is not going to bite me." Azula said confidently, taking her hand back. She knelt in the sand so she was eye to eye with the creature. It didn't thrash about; it didn't bare its teeth and growl. It just looked at her with such lost and loneliness. She was compelled by its gaze to place her hand just in front of the cage to allow it to catch her scent. It recoiled slightly by the gesture, and then slowly moved back; taking her smell in short intakes of breath._

 _"Unlock it."_

 _"No!" All three of the men rejected her request._

 _"I said, unlock it." She said to the merchant._

 _"I said no!" The three men barked in unison again. The merchant looked between them, frightened and conflicted, he didn't make a move._

 _"Azula, it is dangerous." Atem started._

 _"It is not. It is scared and looking for a master. I think I could be its master."_

 _"You know nothing about it." Seto commented, siding with Atem. "How will you tend to it?"_

 _"I knew nothing about Kuriboh and look how he turned out." She defended, opening her hand as she motioned for the key. Mahod said nothing, just watched with caution preparing himself to defend his Queen from the beast if need be._

 _She unlocked the cage, opening the small door and waited patiently for the creature to emerge. It took several anxious moments before the dragon poked its head out._

 _Azula watched the blue scales on its body glimmer silver in the sunlight. The small creature stretched its limbs out more, being trapped for so long. It spread its wings, flapping them a few times. It finally settled, perching itself on top of its prison._

 _Azula was beyond fascinated with the dragon. She had heard of them, read about them in books, but she had never dreamed of actually seeing one. Even if the dragon was not meant to be hers, she was going to buy it no matter the cost. And then set it free. A creature this grand, this beautiful, was not meant to be held in captivity._

 _The men watched as the two exchanged looks, oblivious of the world around them. The merchant didn't want to say no to the Queen, but feared that if the creature lashed out and harmed her, it would be his head._

 _Everyone was silent, their breath caught in the back of their throats, as the Queen held out her hand once more. The dragon cried out once, stretching out its wings as it lifted itself to hover in midair._

 _Azula remained calm; the dragon wrapped its tail around the full length of her arm, two sets of clawed feet clasped together around her wrist. Transparent wings folded back as it let out one more cry before resting comfortably in her hand. It never took its sapphire eyes off its new master; purring in contentment._

 _"I will take her." Azula smiled, knowing full well that they belonged together._

 _"How do you know it is a female?" Mahod was shocked that the creature took to his Queen so fast, as if it had been waiting for her to free it from its prison._

 _"I just know." Azula lifted it above her head; the sun's light reflected from its body causing it so simmer between blue and silver. "She is so beautiful. So magnificent." She giggled, bringing her dragon to her face. Immediately it purred, rubbing her head against her master's cheek._

 _"And just wait until she grows bigger than the moon itself. I will love her and train her to be a strong and loyal beast to all of us." She rose from the dirt, never taking her magenta eyes away from the blue eyed dragon. "You, Kisara, will be an ultimate protector."_

* * *

The room was filled with the evening glow of the setting sunlight. Everyone, now fully rested and fed, the gathered back in the room to start what they set out to do early this morning.

"I've gone over this multiple times." Solomon began. "There is nothing that we've missed. Everything that you're supposed to use to free her is all here. I don't know what else to tell you."

"No." Atem shook his head. "You both did a fantastic job." He praised Solomon and Ishizu. He knew that they had stayed to examine the carvings by themselves. Finding nothing new, they were afraid that they were failing the group. Unfortunately, the duo did all that they could. It was now up to them to figure out the riddle.

"I think I figured out something." Everyone looked on in confusion as Seto walked over to stand next to Atem. They were shocked to say the least that he even considered participating in this.

He went into his pocket and pulled out his deck. He pulled the top card, revealing the rare Blue Eyes White Dragon.

"What does Blue Eyes have to do with this?" Joey was more confused now than he ever was.

Seto, of course, ignored the blonde. He knew he wouldn't understand. Hell, he wasn't sure if he understood. But he had to go with his instincts.

" _Kisara_. Does that help?" He asked the former king. It was a long pause between them before the name finally stuck.

"My gods! How could I have forgotten that?!" Atem was not thinking, not at all. This whole time he believed that the protectors and guardians had to be physical beings. But that wasn't the case.

"Yugi! Hand me Dark Magician Girl." The Pharaoh ordered as he dug out his own out his own deck.

Though they had a small falling out about it, Yugi had given the Dark Magician to have in his deck. Every now and again they would swap out cards for the others; considering that their decks were identical for the exception of the Egyptian god cards that were in Pharaoh's deck.

"Wait!...Wait! What does the duel monsters have to do with anything?"

"They were once our protectors when they were human." Atem explained, showing the Dark Magician card. " _This_ was Mahod, one of the High Priests, and close friend of mine. He was also the Queen's mentor in sorcery." He gazed at the card, remembering that he fought to protect his father's tomb for a thief and paid the ultimate price for it. "He fulfills his duty to protect us even in death. His spirit is what we know now as the Dark Magician."

"And the Dark Magician Girl was a protector as well." Yugi was now following the plan now.

"Yes, Mana was a dear friend of ours and stayed by the Queen's side. The duel monsters have the spirits of those who have fallen to protect us. They will be the ones that will find her soul and bring it back to her body. We…" He looked at Seto and then Yugi. "…we are the ones that will open the gates and guide them."

"That's only three protectors." Mokuba pointed out. "Who's the fourth?"

"Damn."

"There isn't another card that holds a spirit?"

"No. There's no one…" He trailed off; shuffling through his deck, trying to find the one that may be the final piece to the puzzle.

"Kuriboh." Seto said out loud.

"Yes! But how…how did you know that's the card I'm looking for?" Seto didn't answer because if he did, that meant he would be believing more of this nonsense than what he prepared to do.

"Kuriboh?" Tristen spoke. "As in the little fuzzball?"

"When the Queen was practicing her summoning skills, she tried to imagine the most terrifying, ferocious beast in the world."

"And that was Kuriboh?!" Joey and Tristen laughed until they fell on the ground.

"I said _tried_." Atem smirked; He and Mahod had laughed as well. But Azula was proud of herself so much that she kept him. Kuriboh was the one that started it all. He placed the card with the others on the table.

"Ok, phase one is finally over. Now we have to place ourselves accordingly." Yugi walked over to his grandfather, looking at the notes he had written down. "The protectors are at the North, South, East, and West points. The blood runs cool…a steady heart beats… so that is referring to her body being in the sarcophagus, but the spirit is still alive." He read on. 'guardians stand at the corners of the dwelling. The ones that bound her…sets her free.' Dwelling? Is it talking about the coffin, because that doesn't have corners?"

"Yes, I've thought about that as well."

"Or.." Tea cleared her throat. "…maybe it means where the coffin dwelled, which would be the Pharaoh's family tomb."

"The pyramids!" The original quartet sang together.

"So we position ourselves to form a triangle."

 _We're finally getting somewhere._ Atem thought as he moved back to the screen, analyzing the coffin and the glass case that protected it. They would have to practice in the library. Exactly how they would have to position themselves and the cards. He was sure that Ishizu could request another visit to the exhibit, hopefully convince the one in charge that it was ok to bring her entourage for more "research" but they would have to move quickly after that.

"The third piece of this puzzle says that the three that are close holds the power of the bloodline. The one that bound her will set her free."

"That would be the Millennium Items." Pharaoh said confidently.

"Yes, but which ones?" Ishizu asked. More excited now that they finally understood the riddle,

"The Millennium Puzzle, Eye, and Rod." He turned to Marik. "Do you mind if we use it, Marik?"

"Sure."

"Where do you put that thing?" Tristan asked as the Ishtar brother pulled the rod from out of thin air. "I mean, do you keep up your shirt or in your pants? I'm curious."

"Shut up!" Despite his tan, Marik's cheeks darken. He handed the rod to the Pharaoh.

"Kaiba, do you still have the Millennium Eye? We're going to need it as well."

"Yeah, I still have it." Atem raised an eyebrow in slight surprise. No scoffing? No rolling of the eyes? No belittling comment? Kaiba must be turning a new leaf. He would've tease him, but he'd wait until their mission was over.

"Ishizu, can you call the manager of the museum. Let them know that your team needs one more look at the sarcophagus after hours." They were gonna do this tomorrow. There was no more waiting.

"What about the security cameras?" Tristan had a point. "I don't think we can just preform some magic show for the guards to see. They'll put us out on our asses before we finish."

"Leave that to me." All Mokuba could do was smile innocently. Not sparring any details.

Atem nodded, looking at his group of friends. He could feel that he would be reunited with the last piece of his family very soon.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"It is truly an honor, Mr. Muto, to be helping you on your research. The Domino City Museum welcomes you and your team." Ms. Kurin walked swiftly in front of the rest of them, leading the charge. The click of her sky high heels echoed in the empty hall as they made their way to the Egyptian exhibit.

"We really do appreciate you making time for us on such short notice." Solomon shifted his notebooks in his hand; several loose pages stuffed in between the books. "But when we found more information from the photos, we needed to figure out the rest."

Kurin brushed back a lock of hair that fell from her bun. She nodded her head in enthusiasm. "Of course, of course. I understand the urgency. But can I ask why the CEO of Kaiba Corporations has also joined your research team?"

She stopped just short of the door that lead to the exhibits. She was reluctant to allow all of them to come, even after the customers had left. But the ancient Egyptian exhibit was a huge success so any more information that could lead to bigger findings would definitely bring even more of the public to the museum.

"Mr. Muto and Ms. Ishtar told me about their findings. I wanted to see for myself and maybe integrate a few characters into the game I'm developing."

That brought a sudden sparkle to Kurin eyes; that was all the convincing she needed as she was a huge fan of the Duel Monsters game.

"Please take all the time that you need." She gave a short bow before closing the door behind them.

"Ok, let's start reviewing what we have." Solomon motioned for the others to pull out their pens and notebooks, pretending to write as he spoke. He moved around the room, pointing at the artifacts, giving details that could be found on the information cards underneath.

He did as they had practiced at Kaiba's mansion; they would have to talk for a little while, walk around the room to inspect each piece. They were giving a show for the cameras.

Mokuba moved quietly out of site of the camera lens and pulled out what looked to be his cell phone from his pocket. It only took a few moments for him to work his magic on the technology and hack into the system.

"Got it." He announced. "We have about five minutes on a loop being fed to the security monitors. Hopefully this won't take long and the security guys aren't that smart." He scurried over to the sarcophagus. Using the same device, he pointed it towards the glass case. It took him longer than he liked to. Moments later, the four walls slowly retracted into the floor.

He earned a warm pat on his head from his brother.

"Let's get moving." Atem opened up the bag he carried in. There was no time to waste; he pulled out the cards from his pocket, placing the Blue-Eyes at the foot of the coffin, Kuriboh at the head, the Dark Magicians at either side.

"The Rod belonged to High Priest Seto, the Puzzle belonged to me, and the Eye was my uncle's." The three men rotated the rare artifacts until they were in the respective hands.

"What do we need to say to open the Shadow Realm?" Yugi asked as he walked back to his designated spot just as they practiced. As soon as his feet touched the corner of the 'triangle' the Millennium Eye vibrated in his hand.

"Guys!" He turned and his eye grew bigger; the Puzzle and Rod were doing the same thing.

"Well, at least we know we're doing something right." Atem commented, watching as the artifacts shook with power.

"This is insane." Seto whispered to himself; the Rod became hot in his hands as it continued to glow brighter. One thing was for sure, he wasn't about to back out now.

"Look, guys! The cards!" Tea pointed at the four cards, which started to emit a white light.

"Step back!" Solomon warned the others at the two green lines surrounded the men; the writing appeared in between them. They had seen this before when the Shadow Realm was opening. As the neon green lines started to come closer, they were suddenly stopped by the white light of the cards. The protectors were stopping the portal from being opened fully and consuming them all.

"Repeat this three times…" Ishizu began; she knew this window of time was crucial and there was none to waste. "Open the gates of Darkness, guide the path with light. Rescind the soul without fail, to its rightful place."

"Are you ready?" Atem looked between the two men who were the only ones that could help him through this.

"Let's get this over with before my hand sets on fire." Seto sarcastically commented; Yugi said nothing but nodded.

"Open the gates of Darkness, guide the path with light. Rescind the soul without fail, to its rightful place!"

The Millennium Items grew hotter and shone brighter, blinding their wielders. The golden light shot out connecting the three; a pyramid was created as it settled on top of the green circle.

"Open the gates of Darkness, guide the path with light. Rescind the soul without fail, to its rightful place!"

The cards exploded with yet another blinding light. White columns formed from floor to ceiling. Everyone could feel the electric charge coming from them; Seto swore he heard a roar coming from his side, but he couldn't break his concentration.

"Open the gates of Darkness, guide the path with light. Rescind the soul without fail, to its rightful place!"

They were engulfed with gold and white; though they were afraid as to what was happening, they had to stand their ground. They felt cold, then hot, then cold again. They felt things touching them, moving around them; through them. Were they in the Shadow Realm? They couldn't see what was going on but their monsters' silhouettes as they swirled around them as if they were in the eye of a tornado.

Besides the fact that they could feel their hands burning, they could also feel their lives draining from them. They didn't know how long this was going to take, but prayed it wouldn't last long.

Just as fast at the lights came, they disappeared. The final shock of the Millennium Items jolted the three back, knocking them to the ground a few feet away from their original spot.

"Yugi!" Joey, Tristan, Tea, and Solomon ran to their friend's side.

"Are you alright, Pharaoh?" Ishizu comforted Atem.

Neither said a word, trying to figure out just what was going on. White dots appeared before Atem eyes when he opened them.

"Seto?" Mokuba didn't know what else to do. His brother sat on the floor, hunched over as he held his head.

"My hand is on fire, my head is pounding, and I can't see." Seto grumbled. "What the hell!?"

"What happened, guys?" Yugi was feeling the same way the other two were.

"We don't know." Solomon answered. "You all were engulfed in a white light. We couldn't see anything inside."

"Inside?"

"Yeah, the pyramid stopped anything from going beyond the boundary." Mokuba spoke. "We weren't affected by it." He looked back at his brother who continued to stay in place.

"Did it work?" Those that weren't suffering from a huge throbbing headache looked at the coffin as if waiting for the occupant inside to wake.

Tristan pushed Joey towards it. "Why don't you go and find out."

"Hell no!" Joey pulled Tristan towards him. "You find out."

"You wanted to know if it worked, so you go and see." The two friends went back and forth for about thirty seconds before they started to agitate a certain someone.

"Shut up!" Seto roared. "Just shut…the hell…up!" The young billionaire felt his last bit of patience snap. Mokuba slowly stepped away. The last thing he wanted was his brother to misstep and snap at him.

Gathering his bearings, Atem staggered a bit as he made his way towards the coffin. Determination fueled him. He had to know if they had succeeded or failed. He touched to lid of the coffin and pushed; it barely moved a inch. He had no energy to do it alone.

He looked down to see a dark set of hands next to his and then another set. Marik and Joey stood on either side of him.

"On three; one…two…three!" The men pushed together. The sound of alabaster scratching against alabaster was music to the Pharaoh's ears. It took barely a minute before the lid fell to the floor with a loud thud. The three huffed from the excretion of strength. They all leaned on the rim trying to catch their breath. Ironically, Joey was the first to peer inside.

The inside was engraved with the same script as the outside. Precious jewelry and gems glittered the bottom of the coffin, surrounding the figure that was covered by a sheet of blue silk. Shaking, Joey gently tugged at the material. He let out a breath with it was revealed that the body was entirely wrapped in strips of white cloth.

"I can't tell if she's breathing or not." He said once the sheet was removed. He didn't know what to expect. Maybe she was supposed to move; struggle against the cloth cocoon. Or maybe she was going to moan like all the mummies did when they were suddenly revived like in the movies. Or maybe it didn't work at all.

It was Atem's turn to reach inside. Moving his hand underneath the head, he pulled at the end of the cloth. Slowly, he unraveled the long continuous strip. First revealing a crown of golden blond hair, then long dark eyelashes that dusted against pale, almost grey, flawless skin; her lips were blue from the lack of oxygen. He stopped at her small bare shoulders; he touched her neck, holding his fingers there for a time.

"She's growing warmer." His voice cracked a little. He couldn't believe that he did it. Five thousand years since he had laid eyes on his sister. He never thought he'd see her again, even in the afterlife. He couldn't stop his emotions from spilling out; droplets of tears trickled down, some hitting her. Knees buckling, he rested his head on the rim as he continued to shed silent tears of happiness.

"Azula." He whispered affectionately, stroking the top of her head. Several strands of her hair began to shift, falling in her face. He laughed to himself; His sister took pride in taking care of her hair. She would spend hours grooming it until it was presentable.

"Guys. We don't have time for this." Mokuba checked his watch. "We have less than 90 seconds to get all of this back together before the feed starts over again."

"I have to get her out." Composing himself once again, he struggled to lift his own weight with his legs. He doubted if he could carry the dead weight of another person.

"Allow me, Pharaoh." Marik moved. With ease he picked up the Queen, cradling her lifeless body in his arms.

"Ishizu." Marik called out in alarm; his movement was causing the cloth to unravel more. He soon realized that she was naked underneath as the top of her breast began to show. Marik let out a shaky breath, considering his two choices: drop her or let the cloth come undone. Either choice would issue an ass kicking from Atem and Seto.

Quickly, his sister was at his side. She gripped the end of the cloth; she secured it so it wouldn't move further.

Tristan and Joey struggled to get the alabaster lid back into place. They huffed; sweat dripped from their brows.

"Wait!" Atem hurried; reaching inside, he pulled a blue sack from the coffin. Stepping back, he let the lid close shut once more.

"Move guys." Mokuba orders, pointing his controller in their direction. They barely made it off the platform before the glass walls emerged from the floor encasing the artifact once again.

"I do have a question. How are we gonna get her out of here without getting noticed?"

Mokuba growled. "Why do you always think of things _after_ the fact!?"

Tristan raised both of his hands on defense. "Hey! I'm not the brains of this operation. I didn't think of it until now!"

"The emergency exit." Seto pointed to the door to the far end of the room. "Hurry while the cameras are still down." He ordered Marik.

"Will she wake up?" Tea asked as she dried her tears. She watched Marik disappeared through the door inside the room.

"I hope so." Atem knew she would. But would she be the same Azula or would the vast time being stuck in the Shadow Realm take a toll on her soul?

He silently prayed to the gods that she would be just as he remembered her.

TBC

SMOOCHES!


End file.
